ST. LOUIS (KSDK) - The Saint Louis Zoo has welcomed a few not-so-cuddly but highly endangered babies into its family.

The Saint Louis Zoo welcomed nine ocellate mountain vipers who were born at the zoo Aug. 16. The snake was considered extinct for almost 140 years but was later discovered in Eastern Turkey in the 1980s.

The Saint Louis Zoo is one of three zoos in the United States caring for this viper.

The Zoo works with other conservation organizations to ensure the survival of the species. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan recommended the breeding of the species.